Any child who is in fifth grade would know that Africa is one of the seven continent and not a country. But if you are Sarah Palin Africa is a country, you can see Russia from Alaska and that makes you a maverick (i.e. a person who thinks independently, a lone dissenter, a non-conformist or rebel) and qualifies you to run for Vice President of the United States.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Unity in Diversity
Times of Indiareports that the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu M Karunanidhi has criticizes the use of tilak as a symbol of Hinduism. This on a historic day when racial, ethnic and religious barriers were broken in another part of the world.
For a country such as ours which has such a rich history and tradition, such immense diversity, which makes us the most unique country in the world, when are our politician's going to learn that trying to divide the country on religious lines and trying to appease your votebank will not work. The constitution of India grants every individual freedom of expression and freedom of religion be it a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian or a Sikh. For a person who is elected by the people to serve the people, Karunanidhi who has taken to uphold the constitution of India, should be the last person to criticize the freedom of expression.
But alas, with elections fast approaching may be he is trying to score some political points in his vote base. When will our politicians stop dividing us in the name of religion and when will our electorate learn to see through these bluffs and call their bluff just as America did yesterday.
For a country such as ours which has such a rich history and tradition, such immense diversity, which makes us the most unique country in the world, when are our politician's going to learn that trying to divide the country on religious lines and trying to appease your votebank will not work. The constitution of India grants every individual freedom of expression and freedom of religion be it a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian or a Sikh. For a person who is elected by the people to serve the people, Karunanidhi who has taken to uphold the constitution of India, should be the last person to criticize the freedom of expression.
But alas, with elections fast approaching may be he is trying to score some political points in his vote base. When will our politicians stop dividing us in the name of religion and when will our electorate learn to see through these bluffs and call their bluff just as America did yesterday.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Once in a LifeTime
This is definitely a once in a lifetime event as the NY Times notes in its headline.
Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America. For a man who 4 years ago was unknown, but to a few people in the city of Chicago, this has been a extraordinary rise and an ultimate coronation.
This at a time when there are a lot of uncertainties and challenges facing the new president. Just to name a few, the US and the world economy is in tatters, global warming is a concern, and two wars, one of which was a war of choice, have diminished the United States standing in the world.
Atlast, the American electorate has made the right choice. The last eight years have been terrible for the United States, but the next four years offer a lot of hope. Lets hope that Barack Obama will use this mandate of the people to correct the wrongs of the last eight years.
Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America. For a man who 4 years ago was unknown, but to a few people in the city of Chicago, this has been a extraordinary rise and an ultimate coronation.
This at a time when there are a lot of uncertainties and challenges facing the new president. Just to name a few, the US and the world economy is in tatters, global warming is a concern, and two wars, one of which was a war of choice, have diminished the United States standing in the world.
Atlast, the American electorate has made the right choice. The last eight years have been terrible for the United States, but the next four years offer a lot of hope. Lets hope that Barack Obama will use this mandate of the people to correct the wrongs of the last eight years.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Will Your Vote Make a Difference?
With the US Presidential election just a day away, I am pretty sure this question is on all voters mind. "Will my vote make a difference?". So what are the odds that a single vote will decide the presidential election. Read this to find out.
Sorry State of the Indian Education System
If this story is anything to go by, we as a country are in trouble. It not only reflects the sorry state of affairs in the medical education but our entire education system.
The Indian education system places more emphasis on bookish knowledge where cramming for a test and passing it is more important. Who cares if you do not remember what you have learned after you have passed the exam. Even in an engineering education curriculum, which I went through, emphasis was always on getting theoretical knowledge and cramming for the tests at the end of the semester. Never was it explained how what I was learning would be useful in the practical world.
If our colleges and Universities are to compete with the Harvard's, MIT's or the Cal Tech's of the world, if we need to propel India into the future as the destination of research and development and not just some back office service center, we need to reform our education system from the grass root level.
And it starts with having best and brightest of teachers who are paid competitive wages, who are enthusiastic about teaching, who care about what their wards learn.
The Indian education system places more emphasis on bookish knowledge where cramming for a test and passing it is more important. Who cares if you do not remember what you have learned after you have passed the exam. Even in an engineering education curriculum, which I went through, emphasis was always on getting theoretical knowledge and cramming for the tests at the end of the semester. Never was it explained how what I was learning would be useful in the practical world.
If our colleges and Universities are to compete with the Harvard's, MIT's or the Cal Tech's of the world, if we need to propel India into the future as the destination of research and development and not just some back office service center, we need to reform our education system from the grass root level.
And it starts with having best and brightest of teachers who are paid competitive wages, who are enthusiastic about teaching, who care about what their wards learn.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
What if We Support Raj Thackeray?
A satirical look at what will happen if every state in the country followed Raj Thackeray's lead in demanding that preference be given to locals in jobs, education, and residence.
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1. We should teach our kids that if he is second in class, don't study harder.. just beat up the student coming first and throw him out of the school
2. Parliament should have only Delhiites as it is located in Delhi
3. Prime Minister, President and all other leaders should only be from Delhi
4. No Hindi movie should be made in Bombay. Only Marathi.
5. At every state border, buses, trains, flights should be stopped and staff changed to local men
6. All Maharashtrians working abroad or in other states should be sent back as they are SNATCHING employment from Locals
7. Lord Shiva, Ganesha and Parvati should not be worshiped in our state as they belong to north (Himalayas)
8. Visits to Taj Mahal should be restricted to people from UP only
9. Relief for farmers in Maharashtra should not come from centre because that is the money collected as Tax from whole of India, so why should it be given to someone in Maharashtra?
10. Let's support Kashmiri Militants because they are right to killing and injuring innocent people for benefit of their state and community...
11. Let's throw all MNCs out of Maharashtra, why should they earn from us? We will open our own Maharashtra Microsoft, MH Pepsi and MH Marutis of the world.
12. Let's stop using cellphones, emails, TV, foreign Movies and dramas. James Bond should speak
Marathi
13. We should be ready to die hungry or buy food at 10 times higher price but should not accept imports from other states
14. We should not allow any industry to be setup in Maharashtra because all machinery comes from outside
15. We should STOP using local trains... Trains are not manufactured by Marathi manoos and the railway minister is a Bihari
16. Ensure that all our children are born, grow, live and die without ever stepping out of Maharashtra, then they will become true Marathis
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Link obtained from Outlook magazine
More Raj Thackeray 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
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1. We should teach our kids that if he is second in class, don't study harder.. just beat up the student coming first and throw him out of the school
2. Parliament should have only Delhiites as it is located in Delhi
3. Prime Minister, President and all other leaders should only be from Delhi
4. No Hindi movie should be made in Bombay. Only Marathi.
5. At every state border, buses, trains, flights should be stopped and staff changed to local men
6. All Maharashtrians working abroad or in other states should be sent back as they are SNATCHING employment from Locals
7. Lord Shiva, Ganesha and Parvati should not be worshiped in our state as they belong to north (Himalayas)
8. Visits to Taj Mahal should be restricted to people from UP only
9. Relief for farmers in Maharashtra should not come from centre because that is the money collected as Tax from whole of India, so why should it be given to someone in Maharashtra?
10. Let's support Kashmiri Militants because they are right to killing and injuring innocent people for benefit of their state and community...
11. Let's throw all MNCs out of Maharashtra, why should they earn from us? We will open our own Maharashtra Microsoft, MH Pepsi and MH Marutis of the world.
12. Let's stop using cellphones, emails, TV, foreign Movies and dramas. James Bond should speak
Marathi
13. We should be ready to die hungry or buy food at 10 times higher price but should not accept imports from other states
14. We should not allow any industry to be setup in Maharashtra because all machinery comes from outside
15. We should STOP using local trains... Trains are not manufactured by Marathi manoos and the railway minister is a Bihari
16. Ensure that all our children are born, grow, live and die without ever stepping out of Maharashtra, then they will become true Marathis
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Link obtained from Outlook magazine
More Raj Thackeray 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Truly, A Great Speech
Below is an excerpt of a speech given by Prof UR Ananthamurthy at the Jamia Millia Islamia
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Every political party speaks of Development and the industrialists and multinationals know that a majoritarian state where dissent is curbed is the best site for development. No political party seems to speak of Gandhiji’s ideal of Sarvodaya, an economic policy that would even benefit the last poor person. The suicides of agriculturists are not taken seriously; their death does not affect the sensex.
Those of you who graduate today from this great institution should ponder over what we as citizens can do to combine development with the welfare of all. Development should disassociate itself from an unabashed consumption and its need of an authoritarian state where the majority can rule ruthlessly, suppressing every form of dissent.
Please don’t think of what I just said as a cliché ridden advice; the whole world is in an economic crisis following the American model of development and consumption; an ecological disaster is ahead of us arising from our greed-driven consumption; violence in our societies has never been effectively curbed by counter-violence.
Gandhiji’s faith in non-violence and truth being the same is not just an ideal; it is a practical and sensible path for not only individuals, as perceived conveniently by many of us, but for nation-states too.
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Read the full text of the speech at A Great Speech
Link obatined from Churmuri
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Every political party speaks of Development and the industrialists and multinationals know that a majoritarian state where dissent is curbed is the best site for development. No political party seems to speak of Gandhiji’s ideal of Sarvodaya, an economic policy that would even benefit the last poor person. The suicides of agriculturists are not taken seriously; their death does not affect the sensex.
Those of you who graduate today from this great institution should ponder over what we as citizens can do to combine development with the welfare of all. Development should disassociate itself from an unabashed consumption and its need of an authoritarian state where the majority can rule ruthlessly, suppressing every form of dissent.
Please don’t think of what I just said as a cliché ridden advice; the whole world is in an economic crisis following the American model of development and consumption; an ecological disaster is ahead of us arising from our greed-driven consumption; violence in our societies has never been effectively curbed by counter-violence.
Gandhiji’s faith in non-violence and truth being the same is not just an ideal; it is a practical and sensible path for not only individuals, as perceived conveniently by many of us, but for nation-states too.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read the full text of the speech at A Great Speech
Link obatined from Churmuri
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